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Democracy and the Informed Public 2026 Summer Reading List
Archon Fung, co-director of the Program on Democracy and the Informed Public, shares his top book recommendations for the summer.
Article
New Forms of Targeted Transparency
A summary of the March 30, 2026 event that welcomed Gerrit von Zedlitz to present on new and less-studied forms of targeted transparency—how they work, when they emerge, and whether they actually make a difference.
This event examined how targeted transparency policies can improve accountability and influence behavior across public and private sectors. The presentation from Gerrit von Zedlitz (University of Mannheim), highlighted a shift from traditional information disclosure toward more focused and participatory transparency mechanisms.
Two research projects demonstrated these effects:
- Police Identification Policies:
Introducing ID numbers for police officers in Germany significantly reduced excessive use of force, improved legal accountability (fewer dismissed cases), and increased public trust, without increasing crime—highlighting the importance of attribution in deterrence. - Food Scanning Apps:
Consumer-facing apps that reveal product information and enable public “callouts” led manufacturers to reduce harmful additives, while consumers shifted toward healthier purchasing behavior, showing how collaborative transparency can substitute for regulation.
Well-designed transparency—especially when it enables attribution and user engagement—can drive meaningful behavioral change, improve outcomes, and enhance trust, even in contexts where traditional regulation is limited.
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